Weatherproof high-tension fuse.



Patented Jan. 25

E. H. JACOBS.

WEATHERPROOF HIGH TENSION FUSE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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OI SOHEKEOTADY, HEW YOIK, ABSIGIOB TOG ELECTRIC comm, A CORPORATION 01YORK.

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p fica of L t Patent Patented Jan. 25, 1910 Application filed August20,1909. Serial Io. 818,777.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enmns'r H. JACOBS, a citizen of the United States,residin at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, tate of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in WeatherproofHigh-Tension uses, of which the following lifisa specificatio mventionrelates to transmission hnes ca mg electric current of hi h tension andits object is to furnish suc lines with thermal cut-outs which will beefl'ectuall protected from the weather and etwillbe y capable of rapidrenewal when ru tured by an abnormal rush of current. 11 a device ofthis kind several conditions must be met to insure successful operation.For instance, the fuse is necessarily out of doors, and therefore itmust be so thoroughly insulated that no storm of rain, sleet or snow cancause a breakdown to ground. Moreover, the insulation must be able towithstand not only the working potential but the excessive potentialsdue to lightning or to surges caused b switching. It must also be ableto stand t e heavy momentary rush of current which follows the aredeveloped at the instant the fuse ru tures. The fusible element must beeasi y removable and replaceable with a minimum of danger to thelinemen, and when it volatilizes the blast of burning ases must notoccur in proximit to com ustible or conducting portions of t e system.

My invention aims to meet these requirements and to this end it comrises the combination with a main line an ductor of a connection between,them including an inclosed expulsion fuse and an upright waterproof,weatherproof housin for said fuse composed of a lurali ty 0 bells madeof insulating materia nested one inside another and coveringsubstantially the entire fuse. The-housin isstationary, but the fuse isremovable t erefrom in a downward and lengthwise direction, being.

a branch conned, if necessary, without removingis an elevation, partlyin section of an embodlrnent of my invention whic has been put inpractice -2 is a sectional eleva-' tion of the bulb, t e spring contactsand buffer at the upper end of the fuse, and Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe support for the lower end '0 the fuse and its housing. i

The, device is preferably mounted on and between two cross-arms 12 of apole, tower or other line-carrying structure, preferably by means ofbrackets 3-4 secured to the u er arm 1 and a bracket 5 secured to t eower arm 2. Depending from the bracket 3 is an insulator .6 of anyapproved design, havingv a downwardly extending pin 7 to whose lower endis attached a plate 8 to which the line wire 9 is fastened. The plate 8is provided with a hinge clip 10 to which is pivoted the blade 11 thedisconnecting swltch.

The bracket 4' supports another insulator 12 having a downwardlyextending pin 13 to whose lower end is secured a laterally-projectingsupport 14. A contact-clip 15 for the blade 11 is attached to thissupport and adjacent thereto is a s ring safety-clip 16 for holding theblade 0 osed. A cross-piece 17 on said blade enables the line-man toopen and close the disconnecting switch with a pole carrying a -hook atits upper end.

The pin 13 projects below the support 14 and is screw-threaded toreceive a nut 18 which clamps up against the support a sheet of metalhaving ,a plurality of downwardly projecting spring contact fingers 19.The up er en of the casing for the inclosed expu sion fuse engages withsaid fingers. Said casing is preferably composed of a stout metallicbulb 20 from which extends a tube or are chute 21 of. insulatingmaterial. The convex surface of. the bulb enables it to wedge apart thefingers when thrust up between them, so as to insure a good electricalconnection between the support 1 1 and the bulb. A buffer is interposedbetween the end of the pin 13 and the bulb, consisting preferably of ahelical spring 22 soldered at one end to the nut 13 and at the other toa cap 23, which preferably has a recess for the head of the plug 24.-screwed into the top of the bulb.

The fusible wire or strip 25 is soldered at its upper end to said plugand runs down through the arc chute 21 to a tip 26 to which i it issoldered. This tip is attached to a metallic sleeve 27 surrounding thelower end of the chute. Radial arms 28 project in opposite directionsfrom the sleeve and are adapted to pass up through slots 29 a shelf orlower support 30 secured to an insulator 31 mounted on the bracket 5. Bygiving the chute 21 a quarter turn the arms will engage, by abayonet-joint action, with. spring contact cli s'32'secured upon the uper side of the she f 30. The branch con uctor 33 is connected to theshelf so that the circuit from the line wire is com leted through thedisconnecting switch-bla e 11, the upper support 14, the contact fin ers19, bulb 20, fuse wire 25, sleeve 27 an shelf 30 to the branch wire 33.

A waterproof and weatherroof housing of insulating material surroun sthe fuse casing, extending from the shelf 30 up to the insulator 12.This housing consists preferably of a tier of tubular sections 34,preferably made of fiber, and each provided with a flaring hell orpetticoat 35 into which the upper end of the next lower section fitswith a tight joint. The top of the upper section is received in thepetticoat of the insulator 12, and the bell of the lowermost sectionseats over a circular flan e 36 on the shelf 30, concentric with the tue 21. The superposed sections are of sufficient diameter to permit thebulb 20 to pass up through them readily, and leave an ample air spacebetween said bulb and said sections. The housing a rigid structureindependent of the fuse casing. The fuse casing with its inclosed fuseis thrust up through the hole in the shelf 30 until its bulb is graspedby the contact fingers 19 and abuts against the buffer cap 23. 'In thisposition the arms lie just above the shelf 30 so that they can beengaged with the spring clips 32 by giving the chute a quarter turn.When the fuse blows, the blast of flame and vapor rushes down throughthe arc chute at one side of the insulator 31 and far enough away to dono damage. The fuse casing is readily disengaged and removed forrefusing, without disturbing the housing. The flaring bells on thehousing give ample protection to the joints between the sections, andafford a long creepage surface between the upper support 14 and theshelf 30; a large portion of said surface being always dry. v

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of nay-invention together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown'is onlyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is 1- 1. The combination with a line wire and a branch wire, ofan inclosed expulsion fuse connecting the same, and a sectional housing'of insulating material inclosing said fuse.

2. The combination with a line wire and a branch wire, of an inclosedexpulsion fuse connecting the same, and a sectional housing ofinsulating material inclosin said fuse, said housing being open at theower end to admit said fuse.

3. The combination with a line wire and a branch wire, of an inclosed exulsion fuse connecting the same, a sectiona housing of insulatingmaterial inclosing said fuse, and in disconnecting switch in series withsaid 4. The combination with a line wire and a branch wire, of aninsulator for the line wire, a switch blade connected to line andpivotally supported by said insulator, an insulating tubular housing, aconnection for the branch wire at one end thereof, and an inclosedexpulsion fuse removably secured in said housing and closing the circuitbe-,

tween said switch and branch wire.

5. The combination with a line wire and a branch wire, of an inclosedexpulsion fuse connecting the same, and a housing for said fuseconsisting of a plurality of superposed tubular sections of insulatingmaterial ointed to ether.

6. he combination with a line wire and a branch wire, of an inclosedexpulsion fuse connecting the same, and a housing for said fuseconsisting of a plurality of superposed tubular sections of insulatingmaterial jointed together, each section having at its lower end aflaring bell protecting the joint with the next lower section.

7. The combination with a line wire and a branch wire, of insulatorsrespectively supporting said wires, a shelf on the branch wire insulatorhaving a slotted opening, a tier of tubular sections of insulatingmaterial resting on said shelf, an inclosed expulsion fuse housed bysaid sections and depending through said opening, an insulator receivingthe upper end of said tier, and connections between the line and branchwires including said fuse.

8. The combination with an insulator, of contact fingers and a buffersupported thereby an inclosed expulsion fuse having a bulb engaging saidfingers, a shelf having a slotted opening, a fuse-inclosing arc chutehaving radial arms adapted to pass through said opening, contact clipson said shelf adapted to be engaged by said arms by a quarter turn ofsaid chute, line and branch wires, and aconnection between said wiresincluding said fuse.

9. The combination with an insulator, of contact fingers and a buffersupported thereby, an inclosed expulsion fuse having a bulb engagingsaid fingers, a shelf having'a' slotte opening, a fuse-inclosing arcchutehaving radial arms adapted to pass through receiving the upper endof the next lower said "opening, contact clips on said shelf section. 10adapted to be engaged by said arms by a In witness whereof, I havehereunto set quarter turn of said chute, line and branch my handthis19th day of August, 1909.

wires, a connection between said wires in- ERNEST H. JACOBS. eludingsaid fuse, and a housing for said Witnesses: fuse composed of a tier oftubular sections BENJAMIN B. HULL,

of insulating material, each having a bell THOMAS W. NooNAn.

